Lesson Learning...

All of the kids have been off school for the last 3 weeks for holiday. They have enjoyed more free time and especially enjoyed a little extra freedom.

The girls plated their hair the first week of the holiday and the boys started letting their hair growing BUT school started today and so haircuts were in order.

While attending classes the children are not allowed to have their hair plated, and it has to be short, if not shaved.

So last night was a night of hair cutting fun. Out came the electric razor and each one took their turn in the hot seat...except Juliet.

I asked her if she was going to have her hair cut, knowing that it was much too long for the school standards and she just shook her head. I didn't think much of it after that, thinking that maybe I just wasn't 100% sure of all the rules.

BUT today when I walked into the institute kitchen for caayi, I noticed that Juliet was there working...At this point I had questions...

Me: Why aren't you in school?
Julie: I lost a book so I can't go.
Me: Why?
Julie: Because I have to pay back the price of the book before I can attend classes.
Me: Okay, how much do you owe?
Julie: 50,000 (equivalent to $25)
Me: Okay, so you are working to earn the money?
Julie: No, I don't have any where to work
Me: How are you going to go back to school?
Julie: I don't know

At this point I was thinking to myself...this girl has been on holiday break for three weeks and knew the whole time that she couldn't go back to school. What happened to being proactive??

I knew that I couldn't just give her the money, because well, what would that teach her about responsibility.

So I hired her...yep...my opportunity to get someone to help me with my laundry by hand, and the ridiculous amount of ironing I have.

The only problem that I foresee is that the hourly wage for the kids here is just 500 shillings (about 25 cents)...meaning that Juliet will have to work 100 hours before she has enough to pay her fine.

Unfortunately, this is going to be a hard lesson for her to learn and I sure hope that her grades don't suffer to much as a result!

Pray for Juliet.
Pray that she will actively search out work opportunities.
Pray that she will be able to earn the money quickly.
Pray that she will learn a valuable lesson about responsibility and hard work.
Pray that her grades won't suffer from her absence at school.
Pray for me that I might be able to be a good example to her, now that she will be spending a little more time with me at my home.

Ahh...the joys of being an auntie!